Tips for writing your high-cost assistive technology report 

The NDIS general assistive technology assessment report is split into 6 parts. These are: 

Part 1: Participant’s details 

Part 2: Assessment of Participants’ Needs 

Part 3: Recommendations and evidence of clinical reasoning 

Part 4: AT Implementation and monitoring 

Part 5: Details of the AT assessor 

Part 6: consent to collect and share information 

Parts 2, 3, and 4 are where you will write the main body of your report, which includes your assessment and recommendations based on the evidence you have collected during a device trial. Here are some useful tips and resources that may help your NDIS report writing: 

PART 2 tips: Assessment of participant needs 

This is where you can include some objective assessment and screening tools that you may like to use during your trial and include in your report. You will also need to consider the compatibility of the recommended AT and the AT that the person already has (consult your team!). 

Tool	What is it?	Where do I find it?
DAGG-3	This is a free assessment tool that provides information on the 4 areas of communication competency for AAC users based on research by Light & McNaughton.	tobiidynavox.com/products/dagg-3   DAGG-3 Webinar
AAC Needs Assessment	A tool to evaluate a person’s need for AAC	AAC Needs Assessment
Communication Success Screening Tool	A tool to screen for communication success	Professional Resources (mytobiidynavox.com)
Access Screening Tool	A tool to determine access methods for an individual	Access Screening Tool
ADHC practice guides	These practice guides are a useful resource for getting started with assessment and implementation of AAC.	Augmentative and Alternative Communication Practice Guide Complex Communication Needs Practice Guide
MACS (Eliasson et al. 2006)	The Manual Ability Classification System (MACS) describes 5 levels (I, II, III, IV, V) of fine motor performance	The Manual Ability Classification System (MACS) for children with cerebral palsy: scale development and evidence of validity and reliability – PubMed (nih.gov)
GMFCS (Palisano et al; 1997)	The Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) describes 5 levels (I, II, III, IV, V) of gross motor performance	CanChild   Development and reliability of a system to classify gross motor function in children with cerebral palsy – PubMed (nih.gov)
CFCS (Hidecker et al.; 2011)	The Communication Function Classification System (CFCS) describes 5 levels (CFCS I, II, III, IV, V) of everyday communication performance	CFCS – Communication Function Classification Systems
AAC Profile	A paid assessment tool that measures subjective, functional skills for developing communicative competence using AAC systems; re-evaluates skill level; and monitors progress.	www.proedaust.com.au/augmentativ e-alternative-communication-profile

Tobii Dynavox provides some useful tools and professional resources that can be used to assess and evaluate complex communication needs, Professional Resources (mytobiidynavox.com) 

PART 3 tips: Recommendations and evidence of clinical/practical reasoning 

This section is where you can provide details of the trial and show your reasoning as to why the recommended AT is reasonable and necessary. Your reasoning is typically informed by your assessment and AT trial/s. You may also include references to the literature. 

Section	Tip
Details of the recommended AT solution	Clearly list the AT that you are recommending, using the correct product names and description from the Link Assistive website.
	Request a quote from the Link Assistive website, or by contacting the Clinical Team member for your state.
AT trial	Refer to the Link Assistive trial guide (if used) when completing this section. It includes trial details, goals, data, and analysis.
	Include evidence of your client’s motivation to use the recommended AT. For example, did they go looking for favourite words in the device to initiate conversation?
	Ask your client or their support persons about the features they liked and how they see themselves using the AT in their daily life.
	Comment on the things that the client could do with the AT that they could not do without it.
	Comment on future benefits of the AT, for example, if the client was able to make requests during trial activities, they may be able to make requests in other contexts, for example, independently ordering at the cafe.
	Identify key features of the recommended AT and why they are important for that person, for example, why topic-based vocabulary organisation works well for that person in their context.
	Consider including photos or device screenshots (with consent) if it helps to illustrate your trial outcomes.
	Refer to ‘tools for measuring trial outcomes’ below.
	Use Data Collection features within the AAC software. With a MyTobiiDynavox account, you can collect data within TD Snap How to use data tracking and access the data tracking for TD Snap on m – Tobii Dynavox US
Evaluation of other options	Review the Link Assistive Feature Matching Framework and comparison charts when gathering evidence for this section.
	Consider additional services that are offered with the AT, such as technical support, clinical support, and accidental damage cover.
	Show evidence that you have considered other options and write a brief evaluation of why that option was not suitable for the client. For example, “A mainstream market tablet is cheaper but not as durable as the TD i-110, which is water resistant and has gorilla glass. Durability was identified as a key feature for X because there will be lots of different people handling their device at school; therefore, a mainstream market tablet was not recommended”.
Evidence	Refer to ‘research evidence’ listed below.
Long-term benefit	Consider features such as editing, page set and access options.
Risk assessment	Refer to Link Assistive Compliance Guides for AT Australian Standards / ISO AT Standards which are required in this section.
	You can reference a person’s right to communication, as outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
Repairs and maintenance	Refer to the Warranty Information and Repairs pages on the Link Assistive website.

Tools for measuring trial outcomes:

• Individually Prioritised Problem Assessment (IPPA) (Wessels et al.)
• Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology (QUEST) (Revised Demers, Weiss- Lambrou, & Ska, 2000)
• Goal Attainment Scale (GAS)
• Data tracking in TD Snap (Tobii Dynavox)
• Gaze Viewer (Tobii Dynavox)
• Look to Learn Analysis Tool (Smartbox)
• SETT Framework (Zabala)
• Look for Success (Tobii Dynavox)

Research evidence:

• Eyegaze Control Clinical Guidelines
• Light, J., & McNaughton, D. (2014). Communicative competence for individuals who require augmentative and alternative communication: A new definition for a new era of communication?. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 30(1), 1-18.
• Johnson, J. M., Inglebret, E., Jones, C., & Ray, J. (2006). Perspectives of speech language pathologists regarding success versus abandonment of AAC. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 22(2), 85-99.
• Romski, M., & Sevcik, R. A. (2005). Augmentative communication and early intervention: Myths and realities. Infants & Young Children, 18(3), 174-185.
• Moorcroft, A. (2019). Understanding the rejection and abandonment of augmentative and alternative communication systems by parents of children with complex communication needs.
• Murphy, J., & Cameron, L. (2006). The acute hospital experience for adults with complex communication needs. Communication matters, 20(2), 7-11.
• Cox, L., Ingles, M., & Wylie, K. (2024). Guys, like… yeah… this stuff might actually be pretty important. Teenage vocabulary in peer interactions. Implications for teen AAC users. Journal of Clinical Practice in Speech-Language Pathology, 1-16.
• Light, J., Barwise, A., Gardner, A. M., & Flynn, M. (2021). Personalized early AAC intervention to build language and literacy skills: A case study of a 3-year-old with complex communication needs. Topics in language disorders, 41(3), 209-231.

PART 4 tips: AT implementation and Monitoring

This section is where you can provide details of how you will implement the Assistive Technology once it has been approved and purchased. It is also where you will provide information and references on how you will support and monitor the use of the Assistive Technology in the future.

Implementation Supports	Details	Helpful Links
Clinical & technical support available through Link Assistive Care	– AT set-up and adjustment – Participant/Carer Training – Repairs and maintenance	Link Assistive Care and Warranty
Repairs & maintenance	– A repair budget will need to be considered in your report. – Link Assistive offers free postage returns for repairs. – Link Assistive is an Authorised Tobii Dynavox Repair Centre. This enables us to repair devices in Adelaide and get the devices back to users within days (instead of weeks or months).	Repair Requests
Training options	Include hours and/or quotes for any training that will be necessary for participants and carers. Our team can provide general training in the areas of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), alternative access, mounting & positioning, and computer control. We can provide custom training to suit individual needs; however this service incurs a fee.	Assistive Technology Training   Webinars
Re-Assessment & review	Ensure that you account for enough hours for you to re-assess the AT being prescribed and review it.	See Part Two for useful assessments
Rental Options	Link Assistive has rental options to support with mitigating risk of waiting for the device to arrive, if required during repairs or if a short-term option is necessary.	Link Assistive Equipment Rental